Conf  Pam  12mo  #68 


[House.] 

HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES,  Feb.  6,  1865.— Ordered 
to  be  laid  on  the  table  and  printed. 

[Presented  by  Mr.  Simpson.] 


RESOLUTIONS 

Adopted  by  Mc  Grow  an  s .  Brigade,  South  Carolina  Volunteers. 

The  soldiers  and  officers  of  McGowan's  Brigade  do 

Resolve,  1st.  That  the  war  in  which  we  are  engaged  is  a  war  of 
self-defence;  that  in  the  beginning,  nearly  four  years  ago,  we  took 
up  arms  in  defence  of  the  right  to  govern  ourselves,  and  to  protect 
our  country  from  invasion,  our  homes  from  desolation,  arid  our  wives 
and  children  from  insult  and  outrage. 

2d.  That  the  reasons  which  induced  us  to  take  up  arms  at  the  be- 
ginning, have  not  been  impaired,  but,  on  the  contrary,  infinitely 
strengthened  by  the  progress  of  the  war.  Outrage  and  cruelty 
have  not  made  us  love  the  perpetrators.  If  we  then  judged  that 
the  enemy  intended  to  impoverish  and  oppress  us,  we  now  knoiv 
that  they  propose  to  subjugate,  enslave,  disgrace  and  destroy  us. 

3d.  As  we  were  actuated  by  principle  when  we  entered  the  ser- 
vice of  the  Confederate  States,  we  are  of  the  same  opinion  still. 
We  have  had  our  share  of  victories,  and  we  must  expect  some  de- 
feats. Our  cause  is  righteous  and  must  prevail.  In  the  language 
of  General  Greene,  during  the  darkest  hours  of  the  Revolution, 
when  he  was  struggling  to  recover  South  Carolina,  then  entirely 
overrun  and  suffering  under  the  scourge  of  Tarlton,  "  Independence 
is  certain,  if  the  people  have  the  fortitude  to  bear  and  the  courage 
to  persevere." 

4th.  To  submit  to  our  enemies  now,  would  be  more  infamous  than 
it  would  have  been  in  the  beginning.  It  would  be  cowardly  yield- 
ing to  power  what  was  denied  upon  principle.  It  would  be  to  yield 
the  cherished  right  of  self-government,  and  to  acknowledge  our- 
selves wrong  in  the  assertion  of  it;  to  brand  the  names  of  our 
slaughtered  companions  as  traitors;  to  forfeit  the  glory  already 
won ;  to  lose  the  fruits  of  all  the  sacrifices  made  and  the  privations 
endured ;  to  give  up  independence  now  nearly  gained,  and  bring 
certain  ruin,  disgrace  and  eternal  slavery  upon  our  country. 
Therefore,  unsubdued  by  past  reverses,  and  unawed  by  future  dan- 
gers, we  declare  our  determination  to  battle  to  the  end,  and  not  to 
lay  down  our  arms  until  independence  is  secured.  Is  life  so  dear, 
or  peace  so  sweet,  as  to  be  purchased  at  the  price  of  chains  and 
slavery  ?     Forbid  it  Heaven  ! 


7*Z 


Holiinger  Corp. 
pH8.5 


